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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25798798">the gang takes tahiti</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/postalcoast/pseuds/postalcoast'>postalcoast</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cruise Ships, First Kiss, M/M, MorstonWeek2020, i swear im not using a mad libs generator to write my fics</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:06:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,796</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25798798</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/postalcoast/pseuds/postalcoast</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Just like the fact that Arthur had been falling in love with John - little by little, their first kiss comes about as expectedly and predictably as Arthur could anticipate.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John Marston/Arthur Morgan, mentioned Dutch/Hosea, mentioned Lenny/Sean</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Morston Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the gang takes tahiti</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So I speed wrote this baby in like an hour and a half and it shows. Sorry about that.</p><p>Side Note:<br/>This is intended to go with/be a part of the same universe as the roommates au that I currently have as a wip (the friends @ the morston discord know what I'm talking about) and also the Fourth of July fic I wrote.</p><p>This is a very random fic, I'm aware &amp; it probably makes no sense but it's part of a bigger project so let's just pretend it makes sense lmao</p><p>Also I looked &amp; could not find a cruise that went to Tahiti from the US in 7 days so that might be a tad unrealistic but let's just pretend it exists let's pretend everything in this fic makes sense pls ok</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Looking upon it now, their first kiss was something that was bound to happen eventually. Something that had been in the works now for weeks, maybe months before either of them realized it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looking upon it now, Arthur knows he should’ve seen it coming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Like falling in love, it was something that happened gradually, little by little. Perhaps it’d been right in front of them this whole time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It happens when Dutch takes them all on a cruise to Tahiti, ironically enough. Seven days spent at sea, crammed into a room with two beds with Sean and Lenny. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s not like Arthur minded the lack of space - living with John for over a couple of years now in a small apartment had provided him the chance to grow accustomed to the concept. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It would be the first time he’d be sharing a bed with John - being roomed with a couple, combined with Dutch’s attempt to save money by cramming as many people in as few rooms as possible, that pretty much was a given. It’s even more ironic but totally expected that Dutch rents a spacious suite for himself and Hosea.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s been over a month since his breakup with Mary, and since then, Arthur’s had a lot of time to think about what she’d said - about him being in love with someone else that wasn’t her. She hadn’t specified who, but Arthur knew. Perhaps he’d known for quite some time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Falling in love with John had happened about as unexpectedly and predictably as the kiss had. It was little things about John that had made Arthur fall in love with him until it was all right in front of him, like one big completed masterpiece that took over two years to accomplish.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Little things such as watching John build a small fort out of empty sugar packets that he’d put in his coffee while they have breakfast in the cafeteria of the ship. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Arthur had been fascinated that the buffet served baked beans along with usual breakfast items such as pancakes and eggs, and it had been hard to miss the snort that John gave when he saw Arthur dip some out on his plate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Arthur watches, in between bites with his elbows propped up on the table, as John makes a neat little stack of the several used sugar packets. John’s own plate of food is sat aside, half-way finished as he focuses in on his new project, completely unaware that the little amused grin Arthur has on his face is only because of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John picks up the stack of packets carefully and places them on top of his used single-serving creamer cups, looming over his creation with about as much concentration as Arthur’s ever seen him manifest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If he wanted to sound like Hosea in this particular moment, Arthur would tell John that he’s gonna wreck his posture sitting like that, but he’s always been known to slouch when given the opportunity. He’d probably also lecture John on wasting his food, too, but Arthur puts that thought aside - he’ll save his Hosea impressions for another time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When John finishes with his makeshift creation, he sits back in his chair, examining the fort with a content little half-smile before digging in his pocket and pulling out his phone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He actually takes a picture of the damn thing, with flash on and everything, and Arthur continues to watch as John apparently goes to send the picture to Abigail or Sean or whoever he has reserved for reveals of small accomplishments such as this before remembering they have no service out in the middle of the sea.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John finally looks up, acknowledging his company, and Arthur couldn’t wipe the smile off his face if he tried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” John asks, a bit defensively.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Arthur shakes his head, and reaches over to John’s plate to steal a bite of his eggs, still smiling. “Nothing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Little things such as watching John struggle without wifi and phone reception, but packing other items to bring on the cruise that he hasn’t touched in years that will help occupy his time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Watching John play Mario Kart on his old Nintendo DS with Sean when they’re all in their rooms for the night and Arthur’s trying to fall asleep. Waking up in the middle of the night after everyone’s gone to bed and rolling over to see John - still wide awake and sitting up in bed - playing Nintendogs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Waking up a few hours later to the chorus of some AFI song from John’s seven o’clock alarm on his phone that he forgot to turn off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Being endlessly amused that the only book John owns some beat-up paperback copy of a Twilight knockoff that he hasn’t touched since high school and watching him and Abigail read parts from it together with overly exaggerated voices out on the pool deck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Arthur’s bouncing Jack up and down in the shallow end of the water just to make him laugh a few feet away, but he can hear John and Abigail reading as clear as day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Little nervous habits of John’s that he does without thinking, like rubbing his thumbnail against his lips or wrapping a strand of his hair around the tip of his pointer finger until it’s changed colors from the lack of circulation. Popping his neck, automatically - out of habit, but grimacing at the sound it makes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seeing John get embarrassed after he responds to the waiter telling him to enjoy his meal with a, “you too,” when they’re all sat down for dinner in the main dining room area on the ship.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One table couldn’t fit their whole group, so understandably, they had to take three tables in the same area. Arthur’s seated at his table with John, Sean, Lenny, Charles, and Javier. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nobody seems to notice John’s social mishap but John, himself, and of course - Arthur, although he doesn’t let on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Arthur also notices the way John’s eyes dart around the table just to make sure, and he lets his gaze drop down to the glass of water in front of him when John’s eyes reach him - just to let him think only he’d heard it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Arthur pulls his gaze back up in time to catch the wince on John’s face - still leftover from his sudden self-consciousness, one that he pulls again, more openly, when he realizes the meal he ordered earlier turns out to be some fancy dish of ox’s tongue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sean had been the one to recommend it, and by Arthur’s guess, Sean knew exactly what he was doing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The kiss, however, happens out on the “exclusive to adults” sun deck at the back of the ship, when they’ve already left Tahiti and are heading back to their port. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s late enough that they’re pretty much the only people around, even the hot tub is empty and that within itself is a rare sight to see.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John’s drinking out of a coffee tumbler filled with some wine that Abigail had brought with her on the ship, but he hasn’t had enough to feel it yet. He and Arthur pass the cup back and forth, taking swigs from it, as they sit on the edge of the lounge chairs closest to the railing of the deck, overlooking the waters.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised you handled this whole thing as well as you did,” Arthur says, after a few peaceful moments of saying nothing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” John’s got his elbows propped up on his thighs, doubled over on himself again, and he reaches out to grab for the coffee tumbler when Arthur hands it back over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The water, seeing all of it, being out in the middle of it,” Arthur gestures to the sea in front of them with a quick jerk of his hand. “I thought you’d get sick.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve never been on a cruise, either,” John points out before taking a sip of wine. “You could’ve gotten sick, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And he’s right. But, still, somehow this wasn’t something Arthur had really considered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eh, I knew I would’ve been fine,” Arthur shrugs, waving away John’s reasonings.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The quiet music coming from one of the speakers nearby fills the silence between them again and the two of them take to looking out at the vast, surrounding water again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I had Hosea give me some of his Dramamine just in case,” Arthur admits when John hands the cup back to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” John asks, glancing over at him. The question is vague, more of a casual observation than it is an actual question.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Arthur meets his gaze and nods anyway. “Yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John gets this glazed, far-away look at Arthur’s seen him wear a few times before. His eyes have dropped down a bit, staring out at nothing like he’s thinking. “Thanks.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As if he catches himself, John picks his gaze back up to meet Arthur’s. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Arthur doesn’t even realize he’s smiling. “Don’t mention it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, really, I mean it,” John says, sitting the cup down beside him when Arthur passes it back to him, and he turns his body a little bit, so he’s halfway facing Arthur and halfway facing the sea. “I know we weren’t exactly close before I moved in but - you look out for me, so - </span>
  <em>
    <span>thanks</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s here that Arthur realizes he could kiss John. It’s probably something he’s been thinking about since Mary pointed out how apparently in love he was with his own roommate. It’s probably something he’s been thinking about before then.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They’re sitting close enough that Arthur could just lean in and kiss him, and it’d be perfect. Soft music, dim lighting, a scenery of dark water that neither of them is nauseated by.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John’s looking at Arthur like he’s reading everything that’s going through his mind, right now, and apparently, he is, because he’s the one that leans in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their first kiss is something soft, but eager like the two of them had been waiting years for it to happen. John’s mouth tastes like cheap wine bought on sale at one of the liquor stores back home and cigarettes he’d shared with Arthur on the smoking deck of the boat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s got a hand placed on Arthur’s knee, warm and steady, and nothing else matters in the world because John’s here, kissing him, and it’s enough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But, then again, perhaps it isn’t, because when John pulls away - hesitant and biting his lip in that stupid, suggestive way of his, Arthur closes the space between them and he kisses John this time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And it doesn’t have to be enough, it never has to be enough. They can share kisses like they share cigarettes and everything else in their lives for the rest of eternity until they decide at what point it could ever begin to be enough.</span>
</p>
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